I Don't Want To Be Alone Tonight
by sapphire-child
Summary: Charlie and Claire share a moment of grief.


Title: I Don't Want To Be Alone Tonight  
Original Post Date: 28th August 2005  
Genre: One-shot angst. And very angsty angst at that  
Summary: Charlie and Claire share a moment of grief.  
Warnings: Character death.  
Disclaimer: Lost not mine. Song 'I Don't Want To Be Alone Tonight' which I have plugged as my title not mine also. Deal with it.

* * *

'Claire?'

His voice, barely more than a strangled whisper, woke Claire immediately from her restless doze. Instinctively, her eyes went to Aaron's crib, heart leaping into her throat, but upon seeing the small bundle of her son she relaxed a little and turned back to address her visitor.

'Charlie?'

'Yeah. I …' he hesitated for a long moment before continuing falteringly. 'I was wondering if I could…it's just I can't sleep and…I don't think I could…tonight…alone…' he trailed off but Claire had heard the slight tremor in his voice. 'Please?'

It wasn't a question, but it was imploring, almost begging, and so sincere and full of pain it was almost heart breaking.

He didn't need to explain himself, she knew.

'Of course,' Claire patted her blanket and Charlie gratefully curled up next to her, his face against her shoulder. Claire settled herself down comfortably again, her eyes on Aaron, less than arms reach away from her and the combination of such a fragile, precious life coupled with the warmth that emanated from Charlie brought back unbidden images of what had happened that day and the knowledge that her fellow castaways had dwindled again in numbers.

There was several minutes of silence as both of them tried to fall asleep but Claire could feel him tense beside her. She reached for his hand and squeezed it reassuringly, but then quite an awful thing happened.

He began to cry.

Silently at first, his body shaking with the sobs that he was trying to suppress and then his mouth opened and he gasped quietly.

'Are you okay?' Claire breathed. 'Charlie?'

If he was able to answer, he didn't. Claire rolled over to face him and took both of his hands within hers and it was this simple action that was his undoing. He began to cry unashamedly, pulling in great heaving gasps of air between sobs.

Claire's eyes burned and she felt it take substance, brimming over with the day's memories. A frantic chase scene through the jungle...trees being ripped up right behind them...the monster roaring triumphantly...

She had screamed as they ran. She'd never heard anything like the monster in her life but what she did know was that it terrified her. Aaron had woken abruptly and began to cry as she ran with him held against her chest, tripping over roots, slamming into trees while the monster pursued them.

She remembered Hurley screaming to run as fast as she could and to keep running. Keep running. She was ahead of Charlie, her feet pounding into the ground.

The monster was right behind them.

It roared.

Hurley had screamed.

And then, silence.

Claire had stopped running and tried to go back. _Hurley…Hurley…_ Aaron was still crying. But Charlie was there; crying and screaming in a sort of mixed grief and terror and he had pulled her to him savagely so she couldn't see what had become of Hurley.

And so they stood there, holding each other, eyes shut tight, waiting for the death which never came. The monster disappeared back into the jungle and the two of them had made their way silently back to camp, a great space between them.

Claire put a tentative arm around Charlie's shoulders now and held him to her gently as they both cried.

'Hurley,' Charlie managed to choke out finally. 'Oh God Claire!' his hands clutched at her desperately and he buried his face in her, so like a child that Claire felt a strong sense of motherliness as she stroked his hair gently, exactly like her mother used to when she'd had a nightmare. She pressed her lips to his forehead. Her own tears were falling onto his already tear stained cheeks.

'I know Charlie. I know.'

Charlie wept bitterly.

'I know.'


End file.
